THE PRESIDENT: I just had a meeting with the presidential Special Envoy
to Sudan, Andrew Natsios. I asked Andrew to serve our country and
really serve the cause of humanity by taking on this important
assignment. He's working very closely with Secretary Rice. He brought
-- he was just there for 10 days, he came back with a grim report about
the human condition of a lot of people who suffer. And, you know,
Andrew -- the good thing about Andrew is -- one thing, he puts a report
out there, but he also understands we've got to do something about it.

And the United States is going to work with the international community
to come up with a single plan on how to address this issue and save
lives. And Andrew is going to work with other partners in peace, and
they'll take that plan to the current government of Sudan.

One element of the plan is something that I strongly supported all
along, and that there needs to be a credible and effective international
force to go into Darfur to save lives, to make it clear that the
international community respects human life, and the international
community will work in concert to save human life.

Andrew, I want to thank you for taking on this assignment. The
situation in Darfur is on our minds. The people who have suffered there
need to know that the United States will work with others to help solve
the problem. And the government of Sudan must understand that we're
serious -- when you deliver a message to them, on behalf of our
government, that we're earnest and serious about their necessity to step
up and work with the international community. So thank you, Andrew, for
that.

Today, as well, we have news out of the Far East. There is an agreement
to restart the six-party talks concerning North Korea. I'm pleased, and
I want to thank the Chinese for encouraging the meeting that got the
agreement to get the six-party talks restarted. I've always felt like
it is important for the United States to be at the table with other
partners when it comes time to addressing this important issue.

And so I thank not only the Chinese, but the South Koreans, the
Japanese, and the Russians for agreeing to come back to the table with
North Korea. We'll be sending teams to the region to work with our
partners to make sure that the current United Nations Security Council
resolution is enforced, but also to make sure that the talks are
effective; that we achieve the results we want, which is a North Korea
that abandons their nuclear weapons programs, and her nuclear weapons, in
a verifiable fashion in return for a better way forward for her people.

And so I'm very pleased with the progress being made in the Far East.
Obviously, we've still got a lot of work to do. But I want to thank the
Secretary for her good work when she went out to the region, and assure
the American people we'll continue to work to resolve this in a peaceful
way.